ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · mate · row · board · root · band · season · tear

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — of the year
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. season — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. band — a music group
  9. object — an aim
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. board — a committee
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mate — to breed
  15. band — a ring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — the cause
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. object — a thing
  21. row — a line
  22. object — to protest
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com